The Oxford Handbook of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Problem Solving in Adulthood

Edited by Paul Verhaeghen and Christopher Hertzog

Description

Over the last decade, the field of socio-emotional development and aging has rapidly expanded, with many new theories and empirical findings emerging. This trend is consistent with the broader movement in psychology to consider social, motivational, and emotional influences on cognition and behavior.

The Oxford Handbook of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Problem Solving in Adulthood provides the first overview of a new field of adult development that has emerged out of conceptualizations and research at the intersections between socioemotional development, social cognition, emotion, coping, and everyday problem solving. This field roundly rejects a universal deficit model of aging, highlighting instead the dynamic nature of socio-emotional development and
the differentiation of individual trajectories of development as a function of variation in contextual and experiential influences. It emphasizes the need for a cross-level examination (from biology and neuroscience to cognitive and social psychology) of the determinants of emotional and socio-emotional behavior. This volume also serves as a tribute to the late Fredda Blanchard-Fields, whose thinking and empirical research contributed extensively to a life-span developmental view of emotion, problem solving, and social cognition. Its chapters cover multiple aspects of adulthood and aging, presenting developmental perspectives on emotion; antecedents and consequences of emotion in context; everyday problem solving; social cognition; goals and goal-related behaviors; and wisdom. The
landmark volume in this new field, The Oxford Handbook of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Problem Solving in Adulthood is an important resource for cognitive, developmental, and social psychologists, as well as researchers and graduate students in the field of aging, emotion studies, and social psychology.

The Oxford Handbook of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Problem Solving in Adulthood

Edited by Paul Verhaeghen and Christopher Hertzog

Author Information

Paul Verhaeghen, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at Georgia Institute of Technology. He is interested in working memory, attention, executive control, creativity, aging, and the interfaces between them.

Christopher K. Hertzog, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at Georgia Institute of Technology. He specializes in adult development and aging, with an emphasis on understanding individual differences in cognitive changes in old age and variables that can help predict and explain successful cognitive aging, including health, lifestyle, and adaptive self-regulation.

The Oxford Handbook of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Problem Solving in Adulthood

Edited by Paul Verhaeghen and Christopher Hertzog

Reviews and Awards

"Demographers have estimated that about 10,000 people will turn 65 every day between 2011 and 2030, transforming the age structure of our society. Verhaeghen and Hertzog have compiled a remarkable volume to help fill the void in knowledge about cognitive and emotional development across adulthood. The volume promises to be a landmark contribution." -John T. Cacioppo, Ph.D., Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor, and Director, Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, University of Chicago

"Understanding adult development means understanding the dynamic interplay between emotional, social, and cognitive changes. The Oxford Handbook of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Problem Solving in Adulthood provides both a comprehensive portrait of this multifaceted research program and much-needed integration. In doing so, it celebrates the legacy of Fredda Blanchard-Fields, one of the most enthusiastic promoters of an integrated life-span perspective, and it sets critical guideposts for those keen on further moving this ambitious research enterprise forward." -Ulrich Mayr, Dr. Phil., Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon, and Editor, Psychology and Aging

"The Oxford Handbook of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Problem Solving in Adulthood speaks volumes on the latest theory and research. A fitting tribute to Dr. Fredda Blanchard-Fields, this book captures the breadth of her path-breaking work and takes it to a new level. The chapters are written by a stellar set of authors, a virtual who's who of social cognition in adulthood. This is an invaluable, must-have resource with each chapter providing a state-of-the-art treatise and spearheading a new frontier of research." -Margie E. Lachman, Minnie and Harold Fierman Professor of Psychology, Brandeis University